Church Of Ss Peter And Paul

Church of SS Peter and Paul

This parish church is noteworthy for its very fine 13th-century chancel, belfry and spire. The building incorporates reused 12th-century material and features a 13th-century tower, of which the upper two stages were rebuilt with original material in 1876; the belfry and spire were added to the tower shortly after. The 13th-century chancel was rebuilt on its original site but widened to the north, and the south aisle was rebuilt. In the early 14th century the nave arcades and clerestory were rebuilt in line with the widened chancel, and around 1330 the north aisle was rebuilt and the south porch constructed. The chancel walls were raised and reroofed in the late 15th century, as were the aisles. The nave roof dates to the early 16th century. A restoration to the north aisle is recorded by buttresses inscribed 'TA IP CW 1684' and '1684'. The church was repewed in 1842 and underwent major restoration in 1876.

The building is constructed of pebble-rubble and limestone rubble with dressings of Weldon, Ketton and Barnack stone. The roofs are covered with lead. The west tower rises in three stages with diagonal buttresses to the second stage, surmounted by an octagonal broach-spire. The second stage contains a circular quatrefoil light; the belfry windows comprise two pointed lights with a quatrefoil set in a two-centred arch. The broach-spire rises from a fine decorated corbel-table and has three tiers of gabled spire lights with some ball-flower ornament.

The clerestory has an early 16th-century embattled parapet with four windows featuring Y-tracery in two-centred arches. The aisles have late 15th-century embattled parapets with carved gargoyles. The north aisle contains a 13th-century doorway and windows with net-tracery, and one 15th-century cinque-foiled light window. The south aisle has two 13th-century windows, one 14th-century window with net-tracery, and one 15th-century window replacing two original 13th-century windows.

The south porch dates from around 1340 and was partly restored in the 15th century; it retains an incomplete early corbel table. A doorway of around 1260 has a two-centred moulded arch carried on circular shafts with moulded capitals and bases.

The chancel has a reused 13th-century moulded string-course decorated with mask corbels. The east window comprises three original lancets with very fine moulded two-centred rear arches carried on triple detached shafts with moulded capitals and bases. The north and south walls are of six bays with similar arches and four lancet windows; the north wall retains one original blocked doorway, while the windows and doorway in the south wall were altered in the 14th and 15th centuries. The chancel arch dates from around 1250 and is carried on single detached shafts with moulded capitals and bases. The south and north arcades date from around 1330 and are similar, comprising four bays with two-centred arches and octagonal piers with moulded capitals and bases.

The chancel roof is of late 15th-century date and consists of four bays with cambered moulded tie beams and braces forming four-centred arches, with carved bosses at the intersections and carved angels with outspread wings. The nave roof dates from the late 15th or early 16th century and comprises six bays with moulded timbers; it was restored in 1635, as recorded on a shield held by a carved figure. The roofs of both aisles consist of twelve bays with moulded timbers and carved figures on the wall-posts of the north aisle; the wall-posts of the south aisle have carved angels. The porch roof is of 15th-century date.

The church contains a plain octagonal font with moulded soffit and octagonal stem. 14th and 15th-century glass survives in the spandrels of the clerestory windows. Three lockers are set into the east wall of the chancel, dating from the 13th century. 13th and 14th-century piscinae are located in the aisles.